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EKD Salutes Encounter with Pope Benedict XVI at the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt
Much seed for ecumenical dialogue
September 23, 2011
The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) welcomed the Pope's praise of Martin Luther. Following the meeting today between a Protestant delegation and the Pope and his delegation at the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, the Chair of the EKD Council, Praeses Nikolaus Schneider declared that the encounter in precisely that location was not only a very moving experience for the Bishop of Rome, but also a very special moment for himself as the representative of Protestant Christians. The Council chair added, "I am extremely pleased by Pope Benedict XVI's keen appreciation of the fundamental aspects of the theology of Martin Luther" and of how the struggle with the question of God was the "inner driving force" of Luther's whole life's journey. In addition, it is "fully gratifying" that the Pope acknowledged the fact that Martin Luther's theology was thoroughly Christocentric and that "what promotes Christ's cause" was, for Luther, the decisive hermeneutical criterion for the exegesis of sacred Scripture. This could, Nikolaus Schneider said, provide new impetus for a common interpretation of the Bible, a common understanding of what the biblical message means today and joint action in the world, as well as make possible further reflection on traditional theological and ethical principles.
The Council chair also saw broad convergence with respect to the Pope's warning against an "almost unnoticeable" loss of what has already been achieved ecumenically. Indeed, the "mainstream Christian denominations" stood before common spiritual challenges, not only in relation to new forms of Christianity, but also in relation to questions regarding the ability of Christians to communicate and the strength of their faith in our society. The Council chair agreed entirely with Pope Benedict XVI that the two churches needed to "help one another to develop a deeper and more lively faith"; this was an ecumenical perspective that focused on the gifts that were shared in common rather than on what divided.
The Council chair was particularly pleased with the Pope's remarks in his homily at the joint prayer gathering, qualifying the ecumenical step forward of recent decades by both Churches in Germany as very positive and forward-looking. That the churches ought not only to regret their "divisions and separations," but should also give thanks to God for all the elements of unity which God has preserved, the Council chair viewed as a promising for the future course of both churches. Meanwhile, the president of the EKD Synod Katrin Göring-Eckardt, in her greeting, emphasized the fact that "ecumenism is first and foremost a gift to us from God" and that "we can live together as the one community of Jesus Christ in the house of the Father."
The two churches could therefore join forces in serving others and in defending the dignity of people as creatures of God. Schneider: "Pope Benedict XVI emphasized that faith today needed to be thought out and lived afresh on the basis of the many commonalities between the two churches. We can rely on this and dare to take further steps towards more commonality."
In this connection, both the Council chair and the Synod president expressed the strong hope that, during the coming years of the Luther Decade leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the two major German churches could grow in mutual trust and cooperate more actively. The Pope's reminder concerning the deep theological reflection launched 30 years ago by Pope John Paul II should motivate our generation in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Schneider: "This common path could be a tremendous opportunity to heal memories of mutual hurts, to celebrate our gratitude toward God for the ecumenical reconciliation achieved and to work together to make the Christian message shine anew in our time."
Erfurt/Hanover, September 23, 2011
Press Office of the EKD
Reinhard Mawick